THE INHERITORS OF THE STAR SPIRIT PROLOGUE, CHAPTER 1,

And Chapter 2 By

Prologue

RANA O.

“Grandma, tell us a story, tell us a story!” cried the toddlers, all sitting by the fireplace.

“Well, do little minds know about the spirits from the other realms?”

“Pfff, ghosts aren’t real, stop flooding their minds!” Mom exclaimed from the kitchen.

“Ahh, but I know!” grandma responded, “it all started when…”

“Mommy!” Delphie yelled as she ran up the stairs.

“I’m here!” Angel responded.

“What have you named her?” she asked as she hugged her mom.

“What do you think we should name her?”

“Hmm…Oh I know! Pearl!” Delphie suggested.

“I like it. Say hi to your sister Delphie.”

“Hi, little sis.”

“She looks just like you, Delphie,” Ember said from the corner of the room.

“Ember! You were here too?”

“Well, no hugs for me?” Delphie gladly hugged her next door neighbor. Just then they hear a knock on the door.

“Open up, order from the government,” a gruff voice boomed from below followed by a series of harsh knocks.

“I’ll go check it out.” Ember said as she quietly shuffled down the stairs, looking qute nervous. Delphie accompanied her.

“Angel Levine is required to submit to the government NOW!” the same voice boomed again. As Ember opened the door, she asked,

“What's going on?”

“Angel Levine is under arrest for improperly addressing her duties. Her daughter Delphie is also to be taken for testing.” Testing was a way to determine if children had gifts. If so, they were taken away for execution.

“NOOO, mommy didn’t do anything! You guys must've made a mistake.” Delphie interrupted.

“Shush little girl, I am talking to this lady here, not you.” Just then Angel appeared at the doorstep with Delphie’s and her coats, and walked towards the doorway,

“Don’t worry Delphie, nothing’s going to happen, let’s go.”

“What about Pearl?”

“Ember, please look after Pearl for me. I’ll come back as soon as possible!”

“Of course…but do you have to leave-” Ember started but was cut off by the man at the door.

“I don't have time for this. Of course she needs to come. Walk over, and hurry up, you two!” He yelled as he ruthlessly pulled Delphie out the door.

Like it was just a second, Angel and Delphie were out the door and were being taken to the City Hall.

“I guess it’s just me and you now, Pearl.” Ember whispered to the serene baby in her lap.

Chapter One

12 years later

Pearl sat on a stone staring at the mini waterfall flowing peacefully across. She managed to escape from today's vigorous training. Aunt Cora was training them in case of an emergency.

There were more important things on her mind that day. Like the sudden burst of wind near the trees on her right side. She quickly turned her head and saw absolutely nothing.

She shrugged to herself and started peeling a twig in her hand.

Then another burst of wind.

And then another burst of wind.

Then again, this time stronger and with an eerie light!

Pearl jumped to her feet and looked around, as she slowly advanced towards the direction of the wind, and felt it again.

“BOO!”

“AGHHH!”

From the opposite direction, she saw Maple come closer.

“Phew, I thought it was something else.”

Maple was laughing hysterically.

“Caught you this time huh?” Maple asked.

“Only this once!”

“We’ll see about that, Aunt Cora is calling you by the way. She wants you to come back. I bet you’re in big trouble today. Looks like you’re cleaning the barn!”

“Ok I’ll come, you go ahead.”

“Kay, meet you there!” Her wavy red hair flowed elegantly behind her as she skipped down the trail. Right as she was about to stand up and follow Maple, she felt the gust of air on her left side again. As she was about to depart, a misty light flowed around the rocks and the trees. Pearl froze.

Then as she inched toward the blinding light, it flew into the thick bushes and vanished. Pearl looked back in the direction of the orphanage and then the direction of the mist. She told herself she’ll just take a look.

As she walked through the thick bushes in hopes of seeing something, she thought she saw a flash through the corner of her eye. She quickly turned around and fell through an empty tunnel through the ground. She tumbled all the way down an earthy passageway. THUMP. She landed right on her back. After coughing for quite a while, she realized she fell into an empty clearing. She saw whitish mist gracefully flowing around the trees. Pearl heard excited giggles echoing around the clearing. Before she could even guess what it was, suddenly, a blinding light flashed before her eyes. Everything went black.

Chapter Two

As she slowly opened her eyes to the thump of a leaf on her forehead, she found herself lying under the colossal willow tree resting behind the orphanage. When she heard footsteps coming towards the back door, Pearl sprinted towards the nearest window, climbing in as quickly as possible just in time for another sound.

She was in the library and ANOTHER set of footsteps came closer towards the entrance. “Busy day I guess,” she thought. She grabbed the nearest book and to her luck, it was her missing history book she needed to study. Sitting at the nearest table, she fished out a pen and started studying.

“There you are!”

“Oh! Hi, Aunt Cora!”

“Funny, Maple just went to go get you back. How come you’re already here?”

“Oh, she might’ve taken a detour,” Pearl said nervously.

“Ok,” she shrugged, “Dinner’s in an hour. DO NOT be late.”

“Mission understood.” Pearl started sweating.

After Aunt Cora exited the room, she relaxed. But her eye caught on a book about to fall titled, A Complete Guide to Ghost Types. Pearl picked up the book and started scrolling through it until she found a black pouch glued to the interior of the book. It read, “Star Spirit, beware.”

Weird, Pearl had never heard of those before. She debated whether she should open it or not, but the moment she touched the strings, a blast of powder filled the room.

“WAKE UP!”

“AGHHHH.”

“I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR YOU FOREVER!” Maple screamed, “You really scared me half to death and missed dinner!”

“What?? Dinner is in an hour, what do you mean? And why are the lights out?” Pearl responded. “Pff, so you thought. It was 4 hours ago and it’s currently bedtime. How did you fall asleep?”

“I fell asleep??”

They both burst into laughter, then decided to sneak back into their beds when they heard footsteps approaching. It was a matter of time before Maple was snoring.

Pearl, on the other hand, was disturbed by the events of the day. And what was a Star Spirit? She closed her eyes and forced herself to drift into a slumber, unaware of the danger she had unleashed.

The Legend Of The Walking Stick By Isa Hasan

In the forest deep, where trees do sway, A bug appeared, in a sudden way. His name was Walking Stick, it’s said, But walking straight?

Oh, heavens dread!

With legs so long, like branches tall, He stumbled and wobbled, a comical sprawl. Tripping on twigs and pebbles and air, His coordination simply wasn’t there!

The other bugs would laugh and jeer, As the Walking Stick drew near.

“Hey Stick, are you a bug or twig?”

Then they would mimic his lopsided jig.

He tried to hide among the sticks, But blending in was not a fix.

Instead of disappearing into the crowd, He stood out, awkward and loud.

His camouflage failed as a ruse, The bugs’ mockery brought out his blues.

“Stick, oh Stick, why so absurd?”

“You’re the wonkiest bug ever observed!”

But Walking Stick just shrugged it off. He ignored the snickers and the scoffs.

“I’ll keep on swaying through the day!”

“A bug this cool won’t lose his way!”

So if you see a twig amiss, With legs that cause a chuckling bliss, Say hi to Walking Stick with glee, A bug so funny, wild, and free!

SERPENT OF THE DEEP: AN EPIC POEM BY YUSUF ATTARAS

In the middle of the Pacific between Hawaii and the Philippines, near Guam Island, In the depths of the Mariana Trench. The trench that is the deepest well to ever be. Were two friends, Saltie and Lamp. Lost in the deep, dark, dreadful, dead ocean. Little did they know they were nearing the bottom of the trench, Where the deathly serpent lurked.

In the middle of the Pacific between Hawaii and the Philippines, near Guam Island, In the depths of the Mariana Trench. Were two friends, Saltie and Lamp. Nearing the serpent. His name being Hood.

Trapped in a dark tomb for hundreds of thousands of years. Waiting for something to take the bait and open the door. Luckily for the Saltie, the saltwater crocodile, and Lamp, the angler fish, someone had found them. It was Lamp's mom, searching for the two friends. As they left the depths of the sea, someone else had opened the lost tomb.

A large barracuda named Scale. Saw Hood, the deathly serpent, he swam in horror. Trying to escape the rays of deadly venom shooting “Bang!” it boomed. Each dart of deadly poison hardly missing Scale. The lasers of toxic spit weakening the rock. At last he escaped with heavy breath.

Right then the rocks broke, falling from above like lightning. Hood was trapped but continued to rip apart the giant boulders. As for Scale, he was headed upwards, warning the creatures of the ghastly beast that lurked below.

Nobody believed Scale and they said he made it up, Except for Saltie and Lamp.

Making friends with Scale immediately. Scale described Hood while shivering.

“Red eyed, black scaled, ghoul-like serpent.

Massive body and hood,” he said.

“With a pattern of blood-freezing serpents exactly like him. A pitch-black colored mouth with pure white devastating fangs.”

With that word, the three friends tried to tell all the critters to be alert. Describing the monster, barely being able to say the words. But yet again they were ignored.

Soon they swam to an old friend, a bull shark. People would always listen to him.

If he believed them, then everyone in the Mariana Trench would be aware of Hood. The wise bull shark told them that when the venom of the viper is collected and shot at the speed of light right between his eyes, he would die, otherwise he was immortal.

Then he gave them a scroll about Hood.

As they started talking to the bull shark, the ground shook and a green laser-like erupted from the bedrock 11 kilometers below.

Scale knew it was Hood.

He called to the fish, swimming in panic, shouting,”It’s Hood the monstrosity, so take cover in the coral reef!”

The second they heard Scale, no one dared to respond and they all hid, including the bull shark. Then when it was all quiet, Scale, Saltie, and Lamp started their descent into the weary darkness. It was when they heard a swoosh in the water and saw green arrows of poison with red eyes, that they knew that about a hundred meters below was the black basilisk of their nightmares. They debated whether to flee or confront the cold-blooded dragon. They decided they would not flee or fight but collect the poison and dodge the arrows. Then they would use the shiny steel shield of Guam. They would then fly to the surface while followed by Hood and when he got close, they would parry the gamma rays emanating from Hood, splashing the poison on rays, aimed at the mortal spot on Hood’s head.

With that plan, Scale volunteered to collect the poison in a vial. The others went to find a well-functioning spaceship. Scale dove into the dark, where the only light was of the eyes of the bloodthirsty anaconda. Hood saw him and bursted with anger, and suddenly a zap of electricity emerged from behind Hood. It was an electric eel coincidently zapping Hood’s tail. Stuned and drowsy, Hood was knocked out.

Quickly, Scale took the vial and squeezed Hood’s poison-filled glands as they released the toxic venom. He filled the liter vial and went to the surface.

There, Saltie and Lamp had found a space vessel with 100% filled rocket fuel.

They converted the vessel into a sphere that can hover in one spot or act like a rocket.

Hood, on the other hand, was furious and, mind blown, went to the surface to find the slimy eel that electrocuted him.

Instead he found Lamp collecting metal.

Quickly bit into the flesh of the angler fish, almost chopping him in half.

While blood spewed and the sea dragon's venom traveled into the blood of Lamp as he met his fate. Saltie, miles away, smelled the blood and recognized it.

Cried till he almost turned blind.

Scale asked him why but he didn’t answer, overcome with grief.

Finally, Saltie responded and said that he smelled Lamp’s blood north of them. They swam, rushing, and found Lamp torn to pieces. Again, Saltie cried.

But Scale read about Hood. The scroll said that after Hood is killed, all those who he killed will come back to life.

With that, Saltie stopped crying, grabbed the metal, and swam back to the spaceship.

Quickly, they built the ship and Scale searched for a red dot in the sky.

That is how the gamma ray would appear. While Saltie searched for Hood.

Saltie returned, wounded, and climbed in while Scale started the engine so they could get over the surface.

Saltie gave Scale the shield of Guam and started to move when something hit the space vessel from behind. It was Hood.

They quickly got out of the spaceship and swam as fast as they could to where the gamma ray would hit.

Saltie saw Hood and splashed the poison at the right moment, but Scale was hit by the ray.

As he fell, he parried a small part of the ray and hit Hood square in the forehead, ripping the brains of Hood out of his head.

Alas, Hood was long gone, but Lamp and the coral reef were back; they all grieved upon their loss of The Great Scale.

Lamp was frozen in terror at the remembrance of the sharp fangs that tore him like a hot blade through butter.

Soon a gloomy and depressed crowd took Scale’s torn body and buried it alongside the body of the most just king of the trench.

Scale was a sleeping sword but his deed is to be remembered by all residents of the reef.